HANKO DE MAYO! Happy Birthday Hank!

2009-05-05 · letter vlog · John, Hank · 3:19 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Personal life · mode: Personal update · tags: calendar ritual, community lore

On Hank's 29th birthday (Hanko de Mayo), John phones Hank to reveal his present: a rare Rock-afire Explosion record, with a plan to have the Rock-afire Explosion record Hank's song Book 8.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Birthday greeting: dozens of 'happy's, Hanko de Mayo, Hank turns 29, Nerdfighters' online presents; John phones Hank

• ★★★ John wishes Hank a happy birthday on Hanko de Mayo, noting Hank is 29, which makes John feel old. (playful) — 00:00:00 · Hank Green
• ★★ John says lots of Nerdfighters are giving Hank presents all over the internet and that he has linked some favourites in the sidebar. — 00:00:00 · Nerdfighteria, Hank Green

00:00:51 — John's present: a rare Rock-afire Explosion record, and a plan to have the Rock-afire Explosion record Hank's song Book 8

• ★ John reminds Hank that before Chuck E. Cheese there was Showbiz Pizza, which had an animatronic animal rock band, the Rock-afire Explosion. — 00:00:51
• ★★★ John's present to Hank is a rare original-printing Rock-afire Explosion record with 'Happy Birthday Medley' on one side and 'Do You Love Me' on the other. — 00:00:51 · Hank Green
• ★★★ John says he is in the process of getting the actual Rock-afire Explosion to record Hank's song Book 8, his 'real present', if all goes to plan. (hedged) — 00:01:29 · Hank Green
• ★ John asks whether eight-year-old Hank, listening to the Rock-afire Explosion, would have imagined writing a song they would record. (playful) — 00:01:29 · Hank Green

00:02:19 — Gags about holding young Hank under ball-pit 'fun balls' and 'fun ball flu'; birthday sign-off

Humor (significant)

• John opens Hank's birthday greeting by saying 'happy' dozens of times before reaching 'birthday'. — 00:00:00

  “happy, happy, happy, birthday! Hank, it's your birthday!”

• John names Hank's May 5 birthday after Cinco de Mayo, then flips it. — 00:00:00

  “Hanko de Mayo! Cinco de Hanko? Hanko de Mayo!”

• John says his 11-year-old self would have held 8-year-old Hank down under the ball-pit balls. — 00:02:19

  “A, I'm not sorry, and B, I think having a deep fear of fun balls is actually quite healthy.”

• John claims it is now believed swine flu started inside ball-pit 'fun balls'. — 00:02:49

  “The scientists are actually thinking about renaming it fun ball flu.”

Threads in this video

• outcome · Hanko de Mayo 2009 edition: Hank's 29th birthday — John marks Hanko de Mayo 2009, Hank's 29th birthday, with a birthday video and a phone call. (00:00:00)
• result reported · John asks Nerdfighters to get or make Hank something for his birthday (May 2009) — John reports that lots of Nerdfighters are giving Hank presents all over the internet and links some favourites. (00:00:00)
• callback · The brothers' argument over the Rock-afire Explosion (Chuck E. Cheese) band (2009) — John's gift turns on the Rock-afire Explosion band of Showbiz Pizza, the band the brothers have argued over. (00:00:51)
• kept · John: give Hank a birthday present (2009) — John reveals his birthday present: a rare Rock-afire Explosion record; the 'real present' is still in progress. (00:00:51)
• told · John arranges for the Rock-afire Explosion to record Hank's song Book 8 (2009) — John says he is in the process of getting the Rock-afire Explosion to record Hank's song Book 8, if all goes according to plan. (00:01:29)

Where the stories that moved here went next

• John asks Nerdfighters to get or make Hank something for his birthday (May 2009) — reported back; last: thanks, 2009-05-13
• John: give Hank a birthday present (2009) — kept

Mentioned

Central: Book Eight · The Rock-afire Explosion

Also: 2009 swine flu pandemic · Chuck E. Cheese · Cinco de Mayo (“Cinco de Hanko”) · Do You Love Me · Hanko de Mayo · Happy Birthday Medley · Katherine Green · ShowBiz Pizza Place

Only in the description or credits: Nerdfighter Ning

Also centred on Book Eight: Book Eight...Another Harry Potter Song · An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall

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